1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Persistent prayer is powerful.

Persistent prayer is prayer that does not give up. It’s praying for something until God either answers it or tells us to stop praying about it. Persistent prayer is standing in faith believing God will answer. It does not stop until it receives God’s answer. Jesus even tells His disciples a story in Luke 18 to illustrate the tenacity that pleases God.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t wear me out.’” And Jesus said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off?  I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

The point of the parable is not that we should badger God until He gives in, rather, Jesus is encouraging us to persist in faith-filled prayer trusting in God’s willingness to answer.

Persistent prayer is not easy. Sometimes we want to lose heart, we wonder if God is listening, we grow tired of bringing the same thing to him day after day. But Jesus says, do not give up! God hears you.

Persistent prayer is powerful because it aligns our hearts with God’s will, strengthens our faith, & brings about spiritual breakthrough. Persistent prayer is not just bringing our petitions to God where we spend the whole time talking, but it’s a dialogue, a conversation, where we also spend time silently listening to Him. Through consistent prayer where we lean in to hear from God, we will be better able to align our actions with what we hear from Him.

The most dramatic example of persistent prayer I have personally witnessed was when a friend of mine had a medical procedure go horribly wrong. As a result, she was in constant debilitating pain for 17 years! She was on several strong addictive drugs that only partially blocked the pain. Over the years she underwent many surgeries and had organs permanently altered to try to give some relief, but to little avail. She got prayer from everyone she knew and went to any place she heard of that was praying with healing results, again with little relief. There were many times she felt like giving up, thinking, ‘I guess this is the lot God has for me.’ But she pressed on. Then, seemingly “out of the blue” she sensed the Lord telling her to go to a specific conference. There she was prayed for and miraculously healed. Even organs that were altered were restored to full working order. When she asked God why, after 17 years, did He heal her, He replied, “It was your tenacity that led to your healing.” And now that she is healed, God is using her in a very powerful way in ministry.

In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul encourages us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” So we press on, because God tells us to, praying, believing God will do the miraculous. My job is to pray and not give up. God will do the rest.

Listening Prayer:
Do not lose heart. God has put certain things and people in your spirit so that you will intercede for them. Keep praying until you hear an answer from Him.

Prayer
Dear Lord, Give me the strength to carry on. Protect my spirit so I will not be discouraged & lose confidence in You. Bring to my mind people and things that You are still working on so that I may pick up the mantle of prayer to bring these petitions into Your throne room, for Yours is the power and the glory forever. Thank you, God, for Your grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Resources
There are many examples in scripture of people persisting in prayer, including:
• Abraham persisted in prayer for the city of Sodom. [Gen. 18]
• Moses persevered in prayer for Israel [Ex. 32, Deut. 9]
• Hannah pleads with the Lord for a son. [I Sam. 1]
• King David, throughout his life [1 Samuel, Psalms]

Ephesians 6:18 “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Romans 12:10-12 “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient[c] in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…”

Phillipians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Worship Song:

Matthew West – Don’t Stop Praying (with lyrics)(2024)